Some examples of horrifying thoughts for a potential 1st time Patek owner

[SubMarine]

When I imagine myself becoming a Patek owner, I foresee myself possessing the following horrifying thoughts.

- "The weight to cost ratio is the lowest of any watch I have ever purchased."
- "Wow, this watch is much lower in magnitude in both size and and heft than Rolex."
- "I now have a piece that is much more difficult to sell in the secondary market than a Rolex sports model."
- "Nobody aside from fellow WISes has ever heard of this brand, let alone can quickly recognize it."
- "For the same $, I can purchase 2x ceramic SS Daytona."
- "I can purchase another watch with the money it would cost me to service this piece."
- "This piece has much lower utility than my Submariner, GMT, or Daytona. I wouldn't feel comfortable showering or swimming with this Patek."

Current Patek owners, how did you rationalize these concerns when you took the plunge?

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by SubMarine

When I imagine myself becoming a Patek owner, I foresee myself possessing the following horrifying thoughts.

- "The weight to cost ratio is the lowest of any watch I have ever purchased."
- "Wow, this watch is much lower in magnitude in both size and and heft than Rolex."
- "I now have a piece that is much more difficult to sell in the secondary market than a Rolex sports model."
- "Nobody aside from fellow WISes has ever heard of this brand, let alone can quickly recognize it."
- "For the same $, I can purchase 2x ceramic SS Daytona."
- "I can purchase another watch with the money it would cost me to service this piece."

Current Patek owners, how did you rationalize these concerns when you took the plunge?

Easy... "Nobody aside from fellow WISes has ever heard of this brand, let alone can quickly recognize it." trumps everything else. Im past the everyone has got to notice my watch phase. I much prefer they don't and if they do know then they are generally the kind of person i am OK with knowing.

At the end of the day you buy a Patek for you. A lot of times people buy other brands as much as for other people as they do for themselves. Even a nautilus isnt going to turn any heads on the street. Im reminded of that every time i go back home. Its the Rolex everyone notices, so generally its the watch i don't wear if im trying to avoid an awkward conversation since im basically from the middle of nowhere.

[SubMarine]

Right, and the utility is also far lower than let's say a Submariner or GMT. I wouldn't feel comfortable taking a Nautilus into a swimming pool or shower. Brand aside, looks and design-wise, is a Nautilus really more attractive than a Daytona or Submariner? I'm still trying to wrap my head around the appeal of Patek.

Let's say someone purchases a perpetual calendar chrono for $100k, which is arguably Patek's most classic best-looking model. Now, they have $100k invested in a watch that is not easy to liquidate. Sure, some folks are so wealthy they can afford to purchase and keep a watch forever, but the point is, Pateks lack the general broad-market demand that Rolex has always possessed.

Originally Posted by tyler1980

Easy... "Nobody aside from fellow WISes has ever heard of this brand, let alone can quickly recognize it." trumps everything else. Im past the everyone has got to notice my watch phase. I much prefer they don't and if they do know then they are generally the kind of person i am OK with knowing.

At the end of the day you buy a Patek for you. A lot of times people buy other brands as much as for other people as they do for themselves. Even a nautilus isnt going to turn any heads on the street.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by SubMarine

Right, and the utility is also far lower than let's say a Submariner or GMT. I wouldn't feel comfortable taking a Nautilus into a swimming pool or shower. Brand aside, looks and design-wise, is a Nautilus really more attractive than a Daytona or Submariner? I'm still trying to wrap my head around the appeal of Patek.

Let's say someone purchases a perpetual calendar chrono for $100k, which is arguably Patek's most classic best-looking model. Now, they have $100k invested in a watch that is not easy to liquidate. Sure, some folks are so wealthy they can afford to purchase and keep a watch forever, but the point is, Pateks lack the general broad-market demand that Rolex has always possessed.

you are comparing apples and oranges though. You cant buy a Patek expecting it to be a Rolex. They are vastly different watches. Both have their place on the utility/wrist art spectrum but they are not interchangeable.

I prefer non professional bezels personally. Put a ceramic bezel on a nautilus and i would never buy one. Ill always have a Rolex professional model though as they serve a specific function within my collection but based on looks ill always prefer the non ceramic bezel.

[SubMarine]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

you are comparing apples and oranges though. You cant buy a Patek expecting it to be a Rolex. They are vastly different watches. Both have their place on the utility/wrist art spectrum but they are not interchangeable.

I guess I'm not really grasping Patek's role in the spectrum. Based on tangible criteria, I'm not seeing the advantage of owning a Patek other than the self-awareness of knowing I've spent a large sum of money on a watch.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by SubMarine

I guess I'm not really grasping Patek's role in the spectrum. Based on tangible criteria, I'm not seeing the advantage of owning a Patek other than the self-awareness of knowing I've spent a large sum of money on a watch.

try explaining why you need a Rolex to someone who wears a g shock based on tangible criteria. You are trying to justify Patek, but there is plenty of justification already required to own a Rolex

[jrs146]

Originally Posted by SubMarine

I guess I'm not really grasping Patek's role in the spectrum. Based on tangible criteria, I'm not seeing the advantage of owning a Patek other than the self-awareness of knowing I've spent a large sum of money on a watch.

I actually think you are fully able to grasp Patek’s role in the spectrum. It’s in your profile. For you, money buys you Rolex, not happiness. For many money buys them Patek. It just happens to cost more. There are many reasons why... the finishing... the quality... the scarcity (50,000 watches produced per year compared to millions), the name brand. That is all tangible criteria. But truly none of that matters. If Patek doesn’t speak to you then don’t buy one. Ultimately you’re judging Rolex vs. Patek from a monetary perspective and that’s just not going to work. Otherwise as another poster said, why buy Rolex? Why buy Tag? Why buy Seiko? Just grab a $30 Casio digital watch or better yet just use your cell phone (flip phone because a smartphone is more expensive and not worth it).


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[soundserious]

Originally Posted by SubMarine

I guess I'm not really grasping Patek's role in the spectrum. Based on tangible criteria, I'm not seeing the advantage of owning a Patek other than the self-awareness of knowing I've spent a large sum of money on a watch.

Then don’t buy one. Pick something more logical. There’s nothing to “grasp”. Either it sings to you or it don’t.

[WJGESQ]

Originally Posted by SubMarine

I guess I'm not really grasping Patek's role in the spectrum. Based on tangible criteria, I'm not seeing the advantage of owning a Patek other than the self-awareness of knowing I've spent a large sum of money on a watch.

If you think Patek is tough to comprehend wait till you ponder the AP watches--now that's a real mind bender.

[lapince]

Originally Posted by SubMarine

Right, and the utility is also far lower than let's say a Submariner or GMT. I wouldn't feel comfortable taking a Nautilus into a swimming pool or shower. Brand aside, looks and design-wise, is a Nautilus really more attractive than a Daytona or Submariner? I'm still trying to wrap my head around the appeal of Patek.

Let's say someone purchases a perpetual calendar chrono for $100k, which is arguably Patek's most classic best-looking model. Now, they have $100k invested in a watch that is not easy to liquidate. Sure, some folks are so wealthy they can afford to purchase and keep a watch forever, but the point is, Pateks lack the general broad-market demand that Rolex has always possessed.

lol really? You would be amazed how much in demand they will be if you are talking about the 5740 which is the PC Nautilus, it William be much more easy to sell and surely with less lossthan any PM Rolex sport model.
For your other questions you get them for you, do you like everyone noticing you have a Rolex? If yes then PP might not be for you, about the weight ratio, they are super comfy, a sub compared to it is almost like having a brick on you arm, very cool feel.
And if you take any SS models they almost don’t loose money on resale, if to take the 5711/12, 5167, you even make a lot of cash if you got them for retail, so much better than any SS Rolex, yes even the Daytona C when we are talking 571/12.
Basically I got my first and that was it for me, Rolex was over, though now coming back into the brand as I havea SS Pepsi on order, and maybe a black Daytona, but was without any for a few years after owning 5, but if because of money problems I had to have only one watch and sell the rest, the 5712 would be the one which would stay, wouldn’t be very happy to sell the others but could go with only the 5712, would suck at service time though...

[kingofthehill]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

Easy... "Nobody aside from fellow WISes has ever heard of this brand, let alone can quickly recognize it." trumps everything else. Im past the everyone has got to notice my watch phase. I much prefer they don't and if they do know then they are generally the kind of person i am OK with knowing.

At the end of the day you buy a Patek for you. A lot of times people buy other brands as much as for other people as they do for themselves. Even a nautilus isnt going to turn any heads on the street. Im reminded of that every time i go back home. Its the Rolex everyone notices, so generally its the watch i don't wear if im trying to avoid an awkward conversation since im basically from the middle of nowhere.

Given the ever-increasing ubiquity of the brand, the manufacture's continued development of modern marketing channels and introduction of more contemporary designs and its growing celebrity-popularity - not least in urban culture spheres - I do not believe that you will enjoy this feeling for too long (at least with respect to the Nautilus and Aquanaut collections).

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by kingofthehill

Given the ever-increasing ubiquity of the brand, the manufacture's continued development of modern marketing channels and introduction of more contemporary designs and its growing celebrity-popularity - not least in urban culture spheres - I do not believe that you will enjoy this feeling for too long (at least with respect to the Nautilus and Aquanaut collections).

I still think its overstated. Ive never once heard or seen any Patek related celebrity/rapper/pop culture stuff. Except here when people complain about it. So i think most people have to be seeking out those instances and its not like we are inundated with it. All i have to do is turn on the TV and Rolex sponsors a ton of stuff. I get probably 50 or 100 Rolex advertisements to every Patek one i see. And the Patek ones are only in print magazines. At least thats all i personally see.

[SC11]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

I still think its overstated. Ive never once heard or seen any Patek related celebrity/rapper/pop culture stuff. Except here when people complain about it. So i think most people have to be seeking out those instances and its not like we are inundated with it. All i have to do is turn on the TV and Rolex sponsors a ton of stuff. I get probably 50 or 100 Rolex advertisements to every Patek one i see. And the Patek ones are only in print magazines. At least thats all i personally see.

Google ‘Patek Water’

PP and AP are much more out there in recent years then I’ve ever seen before be it from the like of Ed Sheeran to them being in rap/grime lyrics but we are still no where near the Rolex league of placement.

Like you say it’s still brand recognition I have friends make comments after I’ve mentioned Patek, AP and even Goyard and gone ‘I’ve heard that in this or that song’ etc but they weren’t aware of what they were, well I know for a fact all my friends know the brand Rolex.

OP
Watches are a passion and sometimes logic doesn’t prevail, and if you tried to rationalise this you wouldn’t even be wearing a Rolex!
My dip into Patek was brief but can comment on AP, I paid a £20k premium to have an SS Royal Oak like the basic models but for my money the dial was missing and I could see the movement but I’ll tell you now that was £20k well spent as I love the thing

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by SC11

Google ‘Patek Water’

PP and AP are much more out there in recent years then I’ve ever seen before be it from the like of Ed Sheeran to them being in rap/grime lyrics but we are still no where near the Rolex league of placement.

Like you say it’s still brand recognition I have friends make comments after I’ve mentioned Patek, AP and even Goyard and gone ‘I’ve heard that in this or that song’ etc but they weren’t aware of what they were, well I know for a fact all my friends know the brand Rolex.

patek water

See... never heard of it until here. No one really knows AP either IMO anyway, in any real sense. The only difference is that with an offshore, more people notice it. They still don't know what they are seeing most of the time though.

Having heard of something and being able to connect it to what that thing actually is the the part that is lacking. Rolex is so universal that you say Rolex and everyone immediately gets what it is.

Ed Sheeran is fun to watch spot but again you would kind of need to know what to look for to have an idea of what he is wearing.The last time i saw him in Battersea (at Byrons of all places) pretty sure he had a 5726A on

[kingofthehill]

Originally Posted by SC11

I paid a £20k premium to have an SS Royal Oak like the basic models but for my money the dial was missing and I could see the movement but I’ll tell you now that was £20k well spent as I love the thing

Not to mention the double balance wheel mechanism construction and the gold bridge!

[AK797]

Originally Posted by kingofthehill

Given the ever-increasing ubiquity of the brand, the manufacture's continued development of modern marketing channels and introduction of more contemporary designs and its growing celebrity-popularity - not least in urban culture spheres - I do not believe that you will enjoy this feeling for too long (at least with respect to the Nautilus and Aquanaut collections).

I think this is forum hyperbole really, most people I know don't know what a Rolex actually looks like though they have all heard of one and some think the Subc may even cost as much as $5K! Watches and esp HH watches are still a very concentrated sphere in the real world.

Even if they are getting more name dropped in hip hop lyrics and so more rich kid instas buy them, the average fan has no chance of buying one and so it will just be an internet search thing for them, they won't ever go and actually see one, not when they have all these Balenciagas that look like socks and Supreme this and thats to buy that they actually can afford.

[forcinitijp]

It has no point of comparison, you can not compare a Rolex with a Patek ... it's like comparing a Tag Heuer F1 with a Rolex Daytona .... two markets and different types of buyers. If you are thinking of buying a Patek to use it for two months, a year and then sell it that watch is not for you ..... I also do not wear my watch to let my friends know what it is, I put it for myself , because I like the design and it can be a Patek, a vacheron, a Rolex or a Sinn ..... Patek is a traditional house made of watches and in my taste the Nautilus is one of the most beautiful watches I saw.

[jon_jon]

Making a luxury purchase is rarely rational, but mostly emotional, whether it is a watch, car or an experience.

[AK797]

If you take the 5711 or 5167 then many of your concerns don't apply as they are easily sellable, and have fine water resistance. As for their thinness well that is one of the prized features of Haute watches as is the fact that they are only known to WIS. All of these are plus points really. If the last two are still a concern, plus the size issue, then you might be better looking at an AP RO or ROO which are more like an upmarket Rolex.

[Peterandwatches]

A Rolex is wonderful, but I enjoy brand diversity. My Aquanaut pretty much does everything a Rolex can anyways.

It's really up to you - by the math, you can have 2-3 Rolex or one PP. There's no wrong way to build a collection.

[OP15]

And if utility is a concern in your eyes, you may find a travel time or a chrono interesting. But I too, enjoy wearing my Nautilus without attention and find my Rolex struggles to get wrist time.

[ufboy73]

Originally Posted by SubMarine

When I imagine myself becoming a Patek owner, I foresee myself possessing the following horrifying thoughts.

- "The weight to cost ratio is the lowest of any watch I have ever purchased."
- "Wow, this watch is much lower in magnitude in both size and and heft than Rolex."
- "I now have a piece that is much more difficult to sell in the secondary market than a Rolex sports model."
- "Nobody aside from fellow WISes has ever heard of this brand, let alone can quickly recognize it."
- "For the same $, I can purchase 2x ceramic SS Daytona."
- "I can purchase another watch with the money it would cost me to service this piece."
- "This piece has much lower utility than my Submariner, GMT, or Daytona. I wouldn't feel comfortable showering or swimming with this Patek."

Current Patek owners, how did you rationalize these concerns when you took the plunge?

Honestly, a lot of your considerations would actually be positives in some minds!! Lol

[kultschar]

Originally Posted by ufboy73

Honestly, a lot of your considerations would actually be positives in some minds!! Lol

Agree! Lot of those reasons is why I changed to PP!!!!

[tchaic]

If you like Rolex more than Patek you should spend your $$$ on Rolex. I’ve found that Patek is more to my liking. Still own a few Rolex but Patek gets 95% wrist time.

[lguevara91]

I honestly feel that the moment you buy something for the recognition or to impress someone else... you've lost ALL YOUR MONEY! Buy things for you because YOU enjoy them... who cares if people know how many $$$ are on your wrist... I wear long sleeve button ups and most of the time my watch is under my cuff, until I want to see its beauty of course or i'm reaching for something and my sleeve runs up a bit... :) But what do I know!

[sensui]

I think if you have these thoughts...you're probably not ready for Patek. It takes a different kind of appreciation than Rolex. Just being truthful not trying to be mean...you should always enjoy looking at the watch on your wrist without these sort of thoughts.

[ufboy73]

Originally Posted by sensui

I think if you have these thoughts...you're probably not ready for Patek. It takes a different kind of appreciation than Rolex. Just being truthful not trying to be mean...you should always enjoy looking at the watch on your wrist without these sort of thoughts.

Totally agree, though i might not term it as ‘ready’ vs ‘maybe patek just isnt for you right now’

[codecow]

Originally Posted by SubMarine

When I imagine myself becoming a Patek owner, I foresee myself possessing the following horrifying thoughts.

- "The weight to cost ratio is the lowest of any watch I have ever purchased."
- "Wow, this watch is much lower in magnitude in both size and and heft than Rolex."
- "I now have a piece that is much more difficult to sell in the secondary market than a Rolex sports model."
- "Nobody aside from fellow WISes has ever heard of this brand, let alone can quickly recognize it."
- "For the same $, I can purchase 2x ceramic SS Daytona."
- "I can purchase another watch with the money it would cost me to service this piece."
- "This piece has much lower utility than my Submariner, GMT, or Daytona. I wouldn't feel comfortable showering or swimming with this Patek."

Current Patek owners, how did you rationalize these concerns when you took the plunge?

First one was a big turn off on the PM bracelet models initially for me. Now I don’t care. I appreciate the design and finishing more than weight.

Two, was never an issue for me and I wear down to 36mm with my 5116 and up to a PAM 372 47mm.

Third one not even true depending on the models.

Brand recognition I care more about WIS than people on the street. Besides if you can afford Patek you can likely get whatever you want and have more than one watch.

Ceramic Daytona? Why not 2000 Timex?

Service costs didn’t bother me.

The under the radar gives then utility you might not have with Rolex.

[kneedeep]

No rational justification for buying any luxury item other than liking and wanting it. That's the end of my thought process.

[wisguy]

As an owner, I disagree with most of those thoughts, but it’s ok.

Keep buying Rolex.